Cadillac Escalade ESV

One of four makes that survived General Motors' 2009 bankruptcy, Cadillac is the company's luxury brand, intended to compete with German imports. Cadillac showed its ability to do so when it introduced the 2003 CTS sedan, whose rear-wheel drive and racetrack-engineered suspension emulated BMW's approach. Now in its second generation, the CTS is frequently cited as one of the best products -- if not the best -- General Motors makes.The CTS now comes in sedan, wagon and coupe forms, all of which are available with rear- or all-wheel drive. The sedan and coupe are offered in performance-oriented V-Series versions comparable to BMW's M and Mercedes-Benz's AMG variants. Cadillac continues to sell the large, roomy DTS sedan, a holdover from the front-wheel-drive era. The STS, also a full-size sedan, is closer to the CTS philosophy, with a choice of rear- or all-wheel drive. Now late in its life cycle, the STS is more comparable to the first-generation CTS in terms of quality and refinement. A V-Series version of the STS was discontinued.Crossovers and SUVs include the compact SRX and the hulking Escalade, which continues to come in regular, extended (ESV), pickup truck (EXT) and hybrid versions.In the wake of its bankruptcy, and pending an initial public offering of stock, Detroit-based GM is privately held predominantly by the U.S. Treasury, which owns more than 60 percent. The Canadian government owns roughly 12 percent, and bondholders from the now-defunct GM (Motors Liquidation Co.) hold about 10 percent. More than 17 percent belongs to a United Auto Workers health care and pension trust that the union accepted in lieu of earlier cash commitments. The UAW will sell its interest to fund the trust once the company goes public.